Fire-escape



(No Model.)

E. H. BERGMANN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Miren @rares 'Parent @erica ICINVAID HENRY IIERGMANN, F CIMAIIRON,TERRITORY OF NIMV MEXICO.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 324,914, dated August25, 1885.

(No model.)

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWARD II. BERG'MANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cimarron, in the county of Colfax, Territory v of NewMexico, have invented a new and use ful Improvement in Ifire-Escapes, ofwhich the tbllowing is a specification, reference heilig had to theaccompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improvement in 1o fire-escapes; and itconsists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices thatwill be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is i5 a perspective view ot' aportion of a building with my tire escape apparatus attached theret to.Figs. 2 ard 3 are detailed perspective views. Fig. 4 is a detailedperspective view of a portion of a building with a slightly-modi- 2otied form of my iireescapc applied thereto. t Figs. 5, G,and 7 aredetailed perspective views. i

A represents a series of sheaves journaled 1 in brackets I3, that areadapted to be attached t permanently to the walls or under the eaves lor cornices of a building. To the walls ofthe building, under the eavesor cornice thereof, t are secured' anuinber ot' giapples, G, there beingone for each sheave. 'Ihese grapples are composed each ofthe fulcrumedlevers a I), 3Q having their lower ends bent out at right angles andrecessed on their inner opposing edges, as at c. From one side of thelever a',

at the upper end thereof, extends an inclined bar, d, that extendsbehind the upper end of t the lever D, as shown at Figs. l and 2.

I) represents an endwise moving rod that t is inclosed in a tube, E, ofsuitable diameter,

the tube being preferably7 incased in the wall ofthe building in rear ofthe grapples. rlhe 4.o tube and rod are formed in sections of length tcorresponding to the distance between the grapples, the sections of therod being secured together by screw-couplings. Bosses or studs e areprovided for the rod adjacent to the levers of the graliples. As shownat Fig. 1, the

rod l) passes along the walls of the building, and at each cornerthereof the sections of the t rod are joined by a chain, F, which passesover sheaves j'. The central portion of this 5o eonnectingchain forms adepending loop that t, is passed through an eye at the upper end of i avertical rod, (i, that is similar to the rod I) l and is inelosed in atube, II, that is preferably ineased in the walls of the building` atthe corner thereof. rlhe lower end of the rod G passes into a box, I,that is secured to the corner of the building, preferably about sevenf'eet from the ground, and has an eye formed in its lower end, throughwhich passes a pin, 0, that enters an opening in the side of the box andserves to support the weight of the vertical rod.

K represents a series of boxes or cases, which are made in imitation ofthe brackets, cantilcvers, or projects of the building, to which myre-escape apparatus is applied, so as to not in any way mar or impairthe architect` ural beauty of the building, and so as to entirelyconceal the apparatus from view.

These boxes or cases are open on their rear t and upper sides and areadapted to fit over the brackets and sheaves, so as to hide them fromobservation and protect them from at.- mospheric intiuences.

In order to secure these boxes or cases in place, shallow grooves orrecesses h are made in the walls and cornices or eaves to receive andsteady the rear and upper sides of the boxes or cases, and the latterare provided with transverse bars r, rearwardly from the centers ofwhich project headed studs 7.",

adapted to be retained and clamped in the rccesses c, formed between thelower ends of the levers of the grapples. Fla-t bearingsprings L2 areValso secured to the transverse bars l', and bear against the walls attheir free ends. The function of these springs is to move the boxes orcases forward out of engagement with the clutches when the lower ends ofthe levers of the latter are opened, and the boxes or cases will thenfall by their own gravity. Strong, light cords or ropes L pass over thesheaves A, the depending ends of these ropes being long enough to reachthe ground, cach rope L then being equal in length to twice the heightof the building. Snap-hooks M are attached to the ends ot the cords orropes L. The ropes L are coiled carefully, leaving the ends projectingfrom each coil, and these coils are inclosed in the boxes or eases K,out of sight. In the event of a lire in the building the box I will beIOO opened and the pin g drawn out from the lower eye ot' the verticalrod, which rod then drops a short distance by its own weight, and withsu'iici'ent force to move the rods D, and cause the studs thereof tostrike against the levers of the grapples and release the boxes or casesK, which fall to the ground and uncoil the ropes L. Heavy ropes O arethen hooked to the ropes L, and drawn over the sheaves. These ropes Oareprovided with suitable eyes or loops to serve as a means for the readyattachment of baskets P, which may be formed of rope or any preferredmaterial, and will serve as a means for the escape of persons in t-hebuilding, and for lovvering valuables Jtherefrom.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I shoT a modied form of bracket to be used Where theornaments or projections of the building do not extend sut tieientl yfar to admit of boxes or ases o' sutticient size to cover the sheavesand brackets. This inoditied form of bracket has a hinged extending arm,l, to the outer end of which is journaled the sheave. This arm isthereby adapted to be folded into a small space, and thus permit thecovers or boxes to be made to correspond to the trimmings ot' thebuilding.

The operating parts of my fire-escape will be made of galvanized iron,zinc, or other material that will withstand the action of the elementswithout rusting, and the ropes and baskets will be impregnated with asuitable reproof composition. The key to the box, the Workingropes 0,and the baskets, it is contemplated, will be furnished to and kept incharge of the tire-department, and duplicates of the same may also bekept in a connspieuous place in the building to which the apparatus isattached.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. The combination ot thebrackets having the sheaves, the removable boxes or cases for coveringthe brackets and sheaves, the grapples having the fulcrumed levers forsccurin the boxes or eases to the building, the ropes L on the sheavesand coiled in the boxes or the ropes L on the sheaves and coiled in theY, n

boxes or cases, substantially as described.

3. The combination ot' the brackets having the sheaves, the boxes orcases K, the grapples having the levers a b, for securing the boxes oreases, the rod D, having the bosses or studs, and formed in sectionsjoined by the chain F, passing over sheaves j', the vertical rod G,secured to the chain, and a pin for supporting the rod Gr, substantiallyas described.

4. The combination of the brackets having the sheaves, the boxes oreases, the grapples having the levers a b, for securing the boxes orcases, the tube E, the endWise-moving rod D in the tube and having studsor bosses for tripping the levers, means for moving said rod, and theropes L on the sheaves, adapted to be coiled in the boxes or eases,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own l have hereto aftixedmy signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EDWARD HENRY BERGMANN.

IVitnesses:

J. M. WALAsoN, VAN ZEIGLER..

